Last night, I attended the monthly meeting for the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives. This is a great group of wedding & event professionals I network with, and every month we get together, share ideas, learn something new, eat, and party! I always get some great ideas from these events.
The main speakers of the evening were Dianna Shitanishi with Hawaii Weddings & Events; Dora Young, catering sales manager at the Hale Koa Hotel; Mike Rabe, president of Creations in Catering; and NACE Hawaii chapter President Herb Yamamoto, catering sales manager at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
They talked about the benefits of NACE and why one should be a member. As a longtime member, their presentation reaffirmed to me the importance of being a part of the organization. The lifelong friendships, camaraderie, and education that I gain helps me to serve you (my clients) better and to serve as a resource for your wedding/special event needs.
Amy Dempsey, our host and Director of Catering at The Pacific Club, then took us on a tour of the property. It was interesting to learn about the rich history of the place, and how today they accomodate all types of events.
Dinner was served soon after. While the menu itself was simple, the presentation was amazing! For example, the Chinese Chicken Salad was served in traditional Chinese takeout containers. How original! Most people are accustomed to eating out of the takeout containers at home…but at the hors deouvres-style meeting? Not so much! It was nice to see creativity like this.
Dessert was simply cookies & milk from the Pacific Club, and a cupcake “cake” was presented by Josette Murai (Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau) in honor of Herb’s birthday last Saturday, March 7. Yes, we did sing “Happy Birthday” to Herb!
Overall, it was a very fun, enjoyable, and educational experience.
Thanks to Mary Cachuela and Kelly Sugano with A Perfect Day Wedding Coordination, and James Chun with Crane Media for taking the pictures you see here!